Family:Whitney, John (1774-1834)

John⁷ Whitney (Lemuel⁶, Joshua⁵, Nathaniel⁴, Nathaniel³, John², John¹), son of Lemuel⁶ and Thankful (Griffeth) Whitney, was born 20 Oct 1774, Spencer, MA, and died 30 Apr 1834, Wadham's Mills, NY.

He married 16 Nov 1797, Springfield, VT, Elizabeth Safford, daughter of Daniel, Jr., and Lydia (Caldwell) Safford. She was born 29 Jan 1775, Rowley, MA, and died 15 Jul 1852, Westport, NY.

John Whitney married Elizabeth Safford, in Springfield VT, and about 1810 moved to Westport, NY, bought a farm adjoining his brother Benjamin's on the Bouquet river, one mile above Wadhams Mills. The town line between Westport and Essex ran between the houses of John and Benjamin. They were both farmers. John spent much time in trying to perfect a reaping machine, which he invented probably about 1815. His life was uneventful, was highly esteemed by his neighbors; was a member of the Congregational church, and his homestead is now occupied by his grandchildren, Lemuel Whitney and Elminer Eliza. He resided Springfield, VT, Wadhams Mills, NY.

Children of John⁷ and Elizabeth (Safford) Whitney:

i.	Abigail Safford8 Whitney, b. 28 Oct 1799, Springfield, VT;[1] d. 2 Jan 1834, Westport, NY; m. 19 Feb 1823, Oliver H. Barrett. He was b. 26 Oct 1794; d. 3 Apr 1842. Children: a. John Whitney Barrett, b. 21 Dec 1823; m.(1) -----; m.(2) -----; resided 232 Monticello Ave. Chicago, IL. b. Benjamin Albert Barrett, b. 6 Dec 1825; bachelor; resided 1000 Kansas Ave. N. Topeka, KS. c. Oliver Dana Barrett, b. 28 Sep 1828; m. 14 Feb 1861, Sallie (Currie) Sutton; resided Washington Loan & Trust Building, Washington, DC. He was b. 28 Sep 1828, Westport, on his father's farm one mile west of Wadhams Mill. At the age of five his mother died and then he went to live with Daniel Safford, the husband of his grandaunt, Sallie Whitney. She was the "Little Sallie" that figured so prominently in an interesting work published by Luthera Whitney, entitled, "Days and Ways of a Hundred Years Ago." Daniel Safford was a brother of his grandmother, Elizabeth Whitney, nee Safford. He lived with his granduncle and aunt until Oct 1842. The next year he lived with his uncle, Joel F. Whitney on the homestead of his grandfather, John Whitney, and the year following, he resided in Cambridge, VT. He finally entered the University of Vermont, and graduated in 1854. He then accepted the professorship of Greek and mathematics in the Valley Seminary, Fulton, NY. Subsequently he accepted the principalship of the West Randolph Classical Academy of Vermont. On 14 Feb 1861, he m. Mrs. Sallie (Currie) Sutton; went to Washington, DC, the next day, and has resided there ever since. There he was admitted to the bar and for several years was associated in the practice of law with the Hon. Caleb Cushing, and that association continued until he accepted the position of counsel in the Geneva Arbitration cases. About 1878 he became associated in the practice of law with General Benjamin F. Butler, and that association continued to the day of Butler's death, 11 Jan 1892, and he is now practicing law in Washington, DC. d. Henry Safford Barrett, b. 30 Oct 1831; resided Thomson, IL.
ii.	Lemuel Whitney, b. 21 Dec 1801; d. 29 Dec 1801.
iii.	Lemuel Whitney, b. 24 Nov 1802, Springfield, VT;[2] m. Roxannia -----, and d.s.p. 24 Nov 1838.
iv.	Thankful G. Whitney, b. 21 Jan 1804, Springfield, VT;[3] m. Thomas Hadley. She d. s. p. 2 Jun 1868.
v.	Sally Whitney, b. 27 Sep 1806, Springfield, VT;[4] d. 17 Sep 1854, Westport, NY; unmarried.
vi.	Elizabeth Whitney, b. 17 Jan 1809; m. Wadhams Mills, Benjamin Fairchild; resided Burden, NY. He was b. 8 Jun 1787; d. 15 Jan 1855; a farmer. Children: a. Elizabeth Smith Fairchild, b. 16 Jun 1847; m. 7 Nov 1872, J. N. Stower; resided Burden, NY. b. Benjamin Smith Fairchild, b. 22 Sep 1849; d. 15 Jan 1876; m. 15 Nov 1871, ----- -----.
vii.	Daniel Whitney, b. 21 Feb 1812; d. Mar 1812.
viii.	John Russell Whitney, b. 18 Apr 1813; m. Elmira E. Fisk.
ix.	Caroline Whitney, b. 3 Jan 1815; d. 1862; m. Laertius Tuttle; resided Westport, NY.
x.	Joel French Whitney, b. 14 Oct 1817; m.(1) Eunice Boutwell; m.(2) Emily J. Daniels.

Census

• 1800, Springfield, Windsor Co., VT: John Whitney, 1 male 16-25, 1 female 16-25, and 1 female 0-9.
• 1810, Elizabethtown, Essex Co., NY: John Whitney, 1 male 26-44 1 male 10-15, 1 male 0-9, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 10-15, 3 females 0-9, and 1 slave.
• 1820, Westport, Essex Co., NY: Whitney, John, 1 male over 45, 1 male 16-17, 2 males 0-9, 1 female over 45, 2 females 16-25, 2 females 0-9; 2 engaged in agriculture.
• 1830, Westport, Essex Co., NY: John Whitney, 1 male 50-59, 2 males 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 1 male 10-14, 1 female 50-59, 2 females 20-29, and 1 female 10-14.
• 1840, Elizabeth not found. She may be the oldest female in the family of her son Joel.
• 1850, Westport, Essex Co., NY:

1172 1214 John R. Whitney 37 M - Farmer $4000 N.Y. Elmira 38 F - Vt. Elizabeth 9 F - N.Y. Attended school Marietta 8 F - [N.Y.] Attended school Joel 7 M - [N.Y.] Attended school Sarah 5 F - [N.Y.] Attended school John 3 M - [N.Y.] Moses 1 F - [N.Y.] Elizabeth 75 F - Mass. Sally 40 F - Vt. Calvin Rice 27 M - Laborer N.Y.

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. 260-261.

1.^  Vermont, Vital Records Index, All Births.

2.^  Vermont, Vital Records Index, All Births.

3.^  Vermont, Vital Records Index, All Births.

4.^  Vermont, Vital Records Index, All Births.

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